1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to copying apparatuses, and more particularly, to a copying apparatus to which data in storage medium (for example, IC card) can be loaded to set operation modes defined by the data.
2. Description of the Related Art
Proposed is a system wherein an operation mode (mode which define an operation manner of the copying apparatus, such as copying magnification, exposure amount, size of copy paper, the number of copies or the like) of a copying apparatus is registered in a storage medium such as an IC card and the operation mode is set in a lump in the copying apparatus by attaching the storage medium to the copying apparatus.
In the above described system, when the IC card is detached from the copying apparatus to release connection of the card with the apparatus, a prescribed operation mode (an operation mode before insertion of the card, a standard operation mode or the like}is set which is predetermined as a basic mode to which the copying apparatus is to be restored.
In the above described system, attaching or detaching of the IC card during the copying operation causes such problems as show in the following.
In the following description, for convenience, an operation mode registered on the IC card is referred to as "mode A", and an operation mode predetermined as a basic operation mode to which the apparatus is to to restored (operation mode set before the insertion of the IC card or a standard operation mode) is referred to as "mode B".
(1) Detaching of the card during the copying operation
In the above described system, when the IC card is detached from the copying apparatus during the copying operation in the "mode A", the "mode B" is immediately set. Therefore, the copying operation mode which is being executed is changed during copying operation, resulting in causing miscopying. In order to prevent it, proposed is a system which prohibits mode change during the copying operation in the above described system.
However, in the above described system, when the IC card is detached during the copying operation, the "mode A" is maintained also after the end of copying operation.
The IC card is detached when the operation mode of the copying apparatus is to be restored to the "mode B".
Accordingly, the operator who has detached the IC card is liable to expect that the "mode B" is set after the end of the copying operation.
Therefore, the mode as the operator desires (in this case, "mode B") and the mode set in the copying apparatus after the end of the copying operation (in this case, "mode A") differ from each other, which might cause miscopying.
(2) Insertion during the copying operation
Similar problem occurs in loading the data of the card by attaching the IC card in the copying apparatus.
Namely, in this case, even though the IC card is attached to set the "mode A" in the copying apparatus, the "mode B" is set after the termination of the copying operation.
(3) Furthermore, such problems as shown in the following occur if a system is adopted for the copying apparatus wherein the mode is set by the IC card, and the operation mode set at the time of the trouble is saved in a predetermined memory when such trouble as a paper jam occurs and the saved operation mode is reset in the copying apparatus after recovering from the trouble.
(i) If such trouble as a paper jam occurs when the copying apparatus is operated in the operation mode (mode A), the "mode A" is saved in a predetermined memory.
In such a state, when the IC card is detached from the copying apparatus, the "mode B" is set in the copying apparatus. Generally, the IC card is detached when it is required to be restored to the above described "mode B".
Then, after it is recovered from the trouble by a predetermined processing, the saved "mode A" is reset to the copying apparatus.
Namely, the mode as the operator desires (in this case, "mode B") and the mode to be set after the recovery from the trouble (in this case, "mode A") differ from each other to cause miscopying.
(ii) The same problem arises also when IC card is attached to the copying apparatus to load the data of the card at the time of trouble such as a paper jam or the like.
More specifically, in this case, even though the IC card is attached in order to set the "mode A" to the copying apparatus, the "mode B" is actually set after the recovery from the trouble.